1. Field of Invention
The present invention provides compounds including both a pendent ether group and a pendent ester group that are particularly useful as plasticizers for polymer resins, a method of making the same and polymer resins plasticized with such compounds.
2. Description of Related Art
Plasticizers are compounds or mixtures of compounds that are added to polymer resins to impart softness and flexibility. O-phthalic acid diesters, which are more commonly referred to as “phthalates”, are the primary plasticizers for most flexible polymer products, especially polymer products formed from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and other vinyl polymers. Examples of common phthalate plasticizers include, for example, di-isononyl phthalate (DINP), diallyl phthalate (DAP), and di-2-ethylhexyl-phthalate (DEHP).
Phthalate plasticizers have been tested for more than 40 years and are among the most studied and best understood compounds in the world from a health and environmental perspective. Nevertheless, there is a demand for phthalate-free plasticizers that provide the same or better properties when added to polymer resins such as, for example, vinyl polymers, rubbers, polyurethanes, and acrylics.